Bernie Sanders Proposes Federal Ban on Automated License Plate Readers

The proposed legislation, co-sponsored by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Jeff Merkley, targets the widespread use of readers like those manufactured by Flock, the industry's largest vendor. While the bill’s title specifically references the company, the text encompasses all automated license plate reader systems. Exceptions are narrowly defined, restricted to toll collection or specific congressional authorizations that mandate data deletion within 48 hours.

Non-compliance by state and local governments would trigger a financial penalty, stripping them of federal grants from agencies including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, the bill empowers individuals to sue the federal government over privacy violations while authorizing state attorneys general to enforce compliance.

Flock, which claims to process over 20 billion vehicle reads monthly via 120,000 cameras, faces mounting scrutiny over privacy concerns. In response to public backlash and contract cancellations, CEO Garrett Langley recently reduced the default data retention period from 30 days to seven. The company has also introduced audit tools following incidents like the one in Milwaukee, where an officer was convicted of misconduct after using the system to stalk his partner.